SERVICE
A commitment to service is one of the pillars of being a Theta. This commitment can be seen from the incredible amount of hours members of Theta put in each semester. For the 2019-2020 school year, Theta totaled 1,815.5 hours of service - the second most of any other Greek organization on campus. Although each member is only required to complete 5 hours of service, we are proud to say that each member completes on average 23.58 service hours per semester.
Members complete this through events organized by Theta, but also individually. As a group, we organize monthly visits to the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, many times visiting with another Greek Organization. These trips give sisters a chance to not only give back to the community but also to meet other members of Greek Life. We host annual fundraisers for our local CASA in Allegheny County such as Theta Trivia and Theta Throwdown and participate in 1000plus Day of Service - in Fall 2018, over half of our sisterhood was involved in 1000plus, as a day of volunteers, site leaders, kick-off committee members and executive board members! During each Fall, we also plan a Theta Day of Service around our founder's - Bettie Locke Hamilton's - birthday, where we contact our local CASA to find out their needs, invite alumnae and do service together to fulfill some of these needs.
Outside of Theta, sisters are involved in service organizations including Camp Kesem, PACE, and Alpha Phi Omega. We encourage sisters to not only participate in Theta service events, but also get involved in a cause they are passionate about.
CASA
Court Appointed Special Advocates, CASA, is Kappa Alpha Theta's national philanthropy. It is central to fulfilling society's most fundamental obligation by making sure a qualified, compassionate adult will fight for and protect a child's right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the security of a loving family. The aid of a CASA can dramatically change the life of a child going through the foster-care system. With a CASA, the average time a foster child spends in courtrooms is decreased by half to two years, allowing the child to be adopted into a loving family at a much quicker rate. However, to fund a child takes around $1,000 dollars, and CASA receives more than half of its budget from donations.
At CMU, Theta holds a variety of events such as Theta Throwdown, Cupcakes for CASA, and Theta Trivia in an effort to raise money and awareness for our philanthropy. Our new philanthropy event for Fall 2020 is Theta Throwdown - a volleyball tournament that invites all students across CMU to participate and to raise money for our local CASA.
To learn more about CASA, visit their national site.
To learn more about the CASA of Allegheny County, visit their website.
To learn more about Theta and it's commitment to CASA, click here.
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THETA
FOUNDATION
Founded in 1960, Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational tax-exempt organization. Theta Foundation’s mission is to secure and manage resources for the educational, leadership, and philanthropic programs of the Fraternity and for the scholastic, professional, and service pursuits of its members to help them reach their fullest potential and make a difference in the world. Awarding more than $1 million annually, Theta Foundation stands as pillar of support for Thetas and a partner in the Fraternity’s educational and philanthropic efforts. The Theta Foundation offers merit and need based scholarships to all active sisters and alumnae. For the last two years, at least one Theta from Carnegie Mellon has been awarded a scholarship. For non-academic endeavors, the Theta Foundation offers grants to help Thetas fulfill their leadership and service goals.
To learn more about the Theta Foundation and their scholarships, click here.
FRIENDSHIP FUND
The Friendship Fund is a tangible sign of a Theta's love and commitment to her sisters. The Friendship Fund provides gifts to Thetas experiencing extreme financial hardship due to serious or terminal illness, job loss, natural disaster, and other devastating occurrences. One very important aspect of the Fund is the secrecy surrounding the giving of gifts. Two members write on the behalf of a sister, and the Friendship Fund committee determines the award amount. The requesters remain anonymous, and all records are confidential. The idea of sisters looking after sisters is what makes the Friendship Fund such an amazing part of being a Theta - always being supported by Theta through thick and thin.
To learn more about the Friendship Fund, visit http://www.kappaalphatheta.org/learnabouttheta/programs/friendshipfund/
ThETA TRIVIA
Theta Trivia is one of Kappa Alpha Theta's signature philanthropy events that fundraises for our local CASA in Allegheny County! Teams of four to six compete in 4 rounds of trivia about the sorority while eating pizza and other snacks. Teams are made up of students from all around campus, representing fraternities, athletic teams, academic departments, and other student organizations.
Also a part of Theta Trivia is free food and raffles, donated by our sponsors and small businesses in Pittsburgh. In Spring 2020, we raffled off a $200 Amazon gift card, several $100 Chipotle gift cards, and many other gift cards and prizes from local vendors.
SCHOLARSHIPS
& GRANTS
Theta knows that paying for college can be hard. The Theta Foundation offers merit and need based scholarships to all active sisters and alumnae. For the last two years, at least one Theta from Carnegie Mellon has been awarded a scholarship. For non-academic endeavors, the Theta Foundation offers grants to help Thetas fulfill their leadership and service goals. To learn more about scholarships from the Theta Foundation, visit their website.